Best Friends
by RiverRabbit
Summary: Whenever people see a guy and a girl together, they expect romance. Why can't a guy and a girl just be friends? Why can't they be best friends? - A one-shot based on Isabella and Ferb's friendship. Slight Phinabella and Ferbnessa. Rated T, just in case.


**Hi, everyone! For those of you who know me, yes, it has been a while. I'm so glad to be back! While I do ship Ferbella, this story is about friendship and is actually inspired by one of my best friends. Also, just to clarify, Ferb's words are in italics and Isabella's are in normal text. I hope you guys like it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Phineas and Ferb.**

* * *

Hi, I'm Isabella. _I'm Ferb._ We're best friends! People always think we're a couple, since we talk all the time and are super close. _But I don't feel that way about her. _And I don't feel that way about him. I love him, but as my absolute best friend! _I love her like she's my sister. One I get along with, anyway. _And that's the way we like it!

* * *

I think it all started on that island, when we were ten. Phineas, Ferb, me, and the others had just left Paris and had crash landed on a deserted island. Honestly, I didn't care about being stranded. I was just sad that, even in one of the most romantic settings possible, Phineas didn't even notice me. To make things worse, he noticed that Ferb went off with Vanessa and he acknowledged Candace's desire to see Jeremy! But, when it came to me, nothing.

I was crying on the beach when Ferb brought me a handkerchief. I always thought of it as a kind gesture, on his part, but, thinking back on it, he was probably just as disappointed as I was. Vanessa had ditched him, yet here he was comforting me.

That day, I decided that Ferb and I should be friends. Real friends. I didn't want him to be my crush's brother. He deserved so much more.

I'll admit, after that day, I was still completely smitten with Phineas. However, I made an effort to appreciate Ferb's company as well.

* * *

_I love my brother just about as much as anyone can love a family member. For many years, he really was the most important person in my life. I know Phineas loved me too, but he's never been the best at showing his feelings or detecting emotions. He recognized that there was something between Vanessa and me, when we road off together in Paris. But that was about far as he got._

_ Don't get me wrong; he's the best brother anyone could ask for. Sometimes people just need to be shown love. Isabella's good at that. No, not romantic love. But she was the first person to see me as separate from Phineas. After that day on the island, she would look at me, as well as Phineas, when she asked what we were doing. Every once in a while, she would take me a side and ask how I was. I still don't talk much, so I didn't give her long speeches, but it meant the world knowing that she cared about me. Me for me._

* * *

I wear my heart on my sleeve. It's out there for everyone to see, aside from those select few oblivious people. But that's another story.

The thing about expressing my emotions is that they don't get all bottled up inside. I soon realized that that was what happened to Ferb. His closest friend was Phineas, but Phineas was no good at listening or helping with emotions. He couldn't even cheer up Candace, when we were kids.

I felt delighted and honored when Ferb started opening up to me. He told me about how he lost his mother and how, despite what he's led everyone to believe, his somewhat strained relationship with his father's side of the family. He even told me about his hopeless love for Vanessa.

I probably didn't help a ton, but I listened. I could see him relax as he told me things, as if a burden were being lifted. It made me so happy that I could be there for him.

* * *

_One day, in middle school, our friend group got together for a movie night, at Phineas' and my house. It was actually more like a movie day; we watched so many. Isabella had taken her usual place, next to Phineas, which also happened to be next to me._

_It was getting pretty late when I felt a weight on my shoulder. Isabella had fallen asleep and was unconsciously, literally, using me as a pillow. Knowing her, she was probably hoping to fall asleep on Phineas, not me, but there was nothing I could do now._

_I grabbed the closest blanket and put it over her as best as I could, with one free arm. Then, I gently brushed some hair out of her face, so she wouldn't accidentally breathe it in. She would never remember, but she ended up wrapping both her arms around one of my arms and clung to it._

_When the last movie ended, I carefully shook her awake. Upon waking, she apologized for using me as a pillow. She didn't have to say, but I knew she was wishing I had been Phineas. I didn't mind. If our roles were reversed, I would've wished that she were Vanessa._

_Not everyone saw it that way, though. When we were walking everyone out, Baljeet asked me quietly, "Is there something going on between you and Isabella?"_

_I told him there wasn't, but his face showed he didn't believe me._

* * *

I had finally done it! I had finally earned my Blaze Medal! This was the highest award any Fireside Girl could ever receive. It meant that, not only did I earn every single patch there is, but I also ran and completed a community service project that made a difference in the world.

Of course there would be an official awards ceremony with all of my family and friends, but I had just completed the award requirements that day. After leaving the Fireside Girl lodge, I whipped out my phone to text all of my friends who hadn't been present.

For some reason, the first text I sent was to Ferb. Of course I would text Phineas next, but I wasn't thinking when I sent that first text.

Ferb responded, asking if I wanted to come over and celebrate with him and Phineas. I immediately turned my course towards the Flynn-Fletcher house.

When I got there, Phineas was dashing out the door. He skidded to a stop, gave me a quick hug, and then continued running, shouting, "Congrats, Isabella! Sorry, I have to go!" over his shoulder.

I stood there for a few minutes, dazed. Then the disappointment hit me. Phineas wouldn't be staying to celebrate with me. I entered the Flynn-Fletcher house with mixed feelings.

Ferb met me at the door. He had a smile on his face and he said, genuinely, "Congratulations, Isabella!" When he saw my face, he continued. "Phineas got called away by the city council. If you want, we can save the celebration until later."

I was about to say 'yes,' but something stopped me. I knew Ferb wasn't my true love or anything, but I couldn't just bail on our plans, simply because Phineas didn't show up. In truth, I had been excited to celebrate with Ferb, as well as Phineas.

"You know what?" I said, "Let's celebrate now. We're friends; we shouldn't need Phineas to be around just for us to hang out!"

So we hung out for the rest of the day. We watched a movie, played a board game, and even went for walk. It was nothing romantic, no holding hands or kissing. It was just two best friends hanging out and sharing laughs. While we didn't hold hands, there was some playful shoving.

* * *

_By the time we got to high school, Isabella had started saying that she had given up on Phineas. She played it off pretty well. She no longer gazed dreamily at him nor did she try to spend every moment with him. She even started dating some other guys. She certainly did her best, but, as her best friend, I knew it would be a very long time before she was truly over Phineas._

_It's ironic that, around the time Isabella committed to getting over Phineas, he started to see her differently. Or perhaps it was cause and effect. Isabella no longer went out of her way to spend time with Phineas, so my brother tried to compensate by pursuing her more. He even seemed a bit irked whenever she would start dating another guy._

_One evening, Phineas and I were relaxing at home, while our parents were out on a date, when we heard the doorbell ring. When we answered the door, Isabella stumbled in, shaking and sobbing._

_Phineas reached out and put his hands on her shoulders, his face horrified. "Isabella, what happened? Weren't you hanging out with your boyfriend tonight?" His voice tightened a bit when he said that last part._

"_H-he was l-late," Isabella stuttered. "I-I c-called him, but he didn't answer. I g-got worried, so I went to h-his house. A-and he was with another girl." She began sobbing harder._

_I watched as Phineas' face changed from a look of concern to a look of pure rage. "How dare he… How dare he hurt Isabella!" Phineas shouted, before storming out the door, no doubt, to go and find Isabella's boyfriend._

_Normally, if there were an action to take, it'd be me, the man of action, who took it. However, Phineas' anger seemed to have gotten the better of him. I was angry too, but I knew where I was needed._

_Isabella was still sobbing next to me. I pulled her into a tight hug and she cried against my chest. As I stroked Isabella's hair, all I could think was how much I hoped Phineas would destroy the guy who did this to her._

* * *

Every year brought birthdays, holidays, and anniversaries. Each year also brought the anniversary of the death of Ferb's mother. He never told any of his friends about it and, I regret to say, I don't think anyone even bothered to consider that a day like that would exist for him. The Flynn-Fletcher family knew, of course, but I was the only other person Ferb told.

Every year, on May 2nd, Mr. Fletcher would call Ferb out sick from school. The two of them would spend the day together, while the rest of the family went about their business, giving them space. Ferb and his father would build a small shrine in their backyard, on which they would place some candles and flowers. They used to visit the actual grave, many years ago, when they lived in England. Now the shrine was all they had. Father and son got each other through the day.

One year, Mr. Fletcher couldn't be home for the anniversary. He had been in England, visiting his parents, and had planned on getting home the night of May 1st, but he had gotten in a car accident and couldn't make it home yet. Of course, I didn't find this out until later.

I had gotten to history, my first class of the day, early. I was flipping through my notes when Ferb walked in, looking dazed. He sat down in his normal seat, next to me. I was concerned from the moment he walked in. Well, more concerned than I usually was for him on May 2nd.

Buford, sitting on my other side, leaned over and whispered in my ear, "What's up with Ferb? He looks like he got run over by a truck!" He then started giggling to himself, only to go silent when I shot him a glare.

"Shut the hell up, Buford," I snapped, angrily. "If you don't know what's going on, then be quiet and mind your own business." There was no doubt that Ferb wasn't okay and I wasn't going to let even one of our good, but ignorant, friends make things worse. Ferb had always been able to stand up for himself just fine, but I found that, when he needed it, I was very protective of him.

I looked over at Ferb and put my hand on his shoulder, turning my back to Buford. To my dismay, Ferb didn't even seem to notice me.

I looked at the clock and saw that we still had a few minutes left before class started. I quickly made my way up to the front of my room to talk to the teacher, Mr. Watson.

"Excuse me, Mr. Watson?" I said politely, but urgently. "Ferb isn't feeling well and he's certainly lightheaded. Could I take him to nurse's office?"

Mr. Watson glanced over at Ferb and then back at me. He mumbled a quick, "Sure," scribbled me a note, and then waved me away.

I walked back over to my desk, where I grabbed my stuff, along with Ferb's. I knew Mr. Watson was expecting me to come right back to class, but I wasn't going to leave Ferb alone. With both our backpacks slung awkwardly over my shoulders, I grabbed Ferb's arm and gently pulled him up.

I steered him out of the classroom, at which point he seemed to become more aware.

He stopped and asked, "Isabella? Where are we going?"

"I'm taking you home," I said sternly.

"But what about class?"

My gazed softened, "You can go tomorrow. You have more important things to think about today. Where's your dad?"

"England… So I figured I couldn't stay home by myself. Mum is great, but she doesn't help."

"Then I'll stay with you. If you'll have me, I'll stay as long as you need."

Ferb gave me a tiny smile that said, "Really?"

I nodded. "Now come on. We better get going before a teacher catches us ditching school."

I helped Ferb build his mother's shrine and kept him company throughout the rest of the day. I let him do whatever he needed, and I was sure to supply the right number of comforting hugs.

Mr. Fletcher finally made it home that evening and joined us out by the shrine. I figured I should head out, to give the Fletcher guys some alone time. I glanced over at Ferb and he gave me a look that said, "I'll be okay."

Satisfied, I gave him one last hug and headed home. I hadn't even made it across the street to my own house, when my phone buzzed for the first time that day.

"So you finally left his house, huh?" said a text from Buford. "You better tell me what's going on between you two."

That creep, not this again. I rolled my eyes. Ever since I stopped mooning over Phineas, Buford had gotten this idea that Ferb and I were into each other. I guess it made sense, since I was the closest one to Ferb, outside of his family.

I sighed to myself, as I typed my reply. I didn't care what others thought, as long as they didn't pressure Ferb about it. And anyway, I could still mess with them.

I replied with, "That's for me to know and you to never find out."

* * *

_I couldn't believe it. Just the other night night, I had run into Vanessa Doofenshmirtz for the first time in years. I thought I had gotten over her, but when I saw her, she was as stunning as ever. What shocked me, though, was that she remembered me!_

_ I was at a Chinese restaurant, getting takeout for myself, when I felt a tap on my shoulder and heard a lovely voice ask, "Ferb? Is that you?"_

_ I turned around, only to feel her hug me. I felt my face turning red, and even more so when I noticed that her face was pressed against my chest._

_ Vanessa pulled away and said, "I can't believe it's you, Ferb! It's been so long! You're so tall and…" She trailed off. Was she blushing?_

_ We talked for over an hour. We had decided to stay and eat our takeout there at the restaurant. It was the most amazing thing. She was single now and had recently graduated from Danville University. I casually asked what happened to her and Monty, but she brushed it off. Literally. She changed subjects, while brushing her hand against mine._

_ Finally, I plucked up the courage and took what I thought was a hint. I asked her on a date and she accepted! Vanessa even kissed me on the cheek, before we parted ways. I felt lighter than air as I drove home._

_ As soon as I got home, I texted Isabella to tell her what happened and request her help. Isabella was great when it came to romantic things and this date had to be perfect._

_ Isabella immediately responded with an, "OH MY GOSH, THAT'S AMAZING, AND OF COURSE I'LL HELP YOU!" I chuckled to myself; I could practically hear her squealing through the text._

_ I may have been a senior in high school, but I still didn't like staying out on a school night. Vanessa and I decided to wait until Saturday to have our date, which gave Isabella and I about a week to plan._

_ I didn't think twice about it. I started talking to Isabella almost constantly, as we planned the perfect evening for Vanessa and I. We talked at school, Isabella came over in the evenings, and we stayed up late texting. There was just one thing I didn't account for. Phineas._

_ I hadn't mentioned Vanessa to Phineas in years and, somewhere along the way, Isabella had become my main confidant. Coupling that with my busy week of preparations, I completely forgot to tell Phineas what Isabella and I were up to._

_ Wednesday evening, Isabella and I were in Phineas' and my room, sketching ideas, when Phineas came in from football practice. Sorry, soccer practice. He opened the door and stopped dead._

_ I suddenly realized how this must look to him. Isabella and I were sitting side by side on my bed, close enough that our legs touched, and she was leaning over my shoulder to look at my sketchpad. _

_I had never thought of this as strange. Isabella and I were good friends and I never cared if she sat close to me. I mean, I really didn't care. There was no physical or emotional reaction, like there would be if Vanessa stood within a few feet of me. But how could Phineas know that?_

_ "Um, hey guys," Phineas said, scratching at his ear. "Sorry if I was, um, interrupting something. I, um, guess I should've known. You've been over every day this week, huh, Isabella? Sorry, I'll just go." As he spoke, Phineas clumsily dropped his backpack on his bed and hurried back out the door, closing it a little too hard behind him._

_ Isabella and I exchanged a look. For once, I couldn't quite tell how she was feeling. I saw that she regretted Phineas seeing what he had. But then Isabella didn't know how Phineas felt about her. The old Isabella would've cried or raced after Phineas to tell him the truth. This Isabella just sighed and shook her head._

_ After a few minutes, it seemed like Isabella wasn't going to say anything, so I spoke up._

_ "Maybe you should go home. I'm going to explain the whole Vanessa thing to Phineas," I said. Isabella nodded. She left with a quick, "Let me know how it goes."_

_ I followed her downstairs, at which point I proceeded to look for Phineas. It was already dark out, but I found him sitting under the tree in our backyard. I sat down next to him and he started talking. As always, he had plenty to say._

_ "I'm sorry, Ferb." Phineas looked up at the leaves, instead of at me. "I know you and Isabella have been best friends for a long time. I was always so glad that you had someone sweet and kind, like her, to talk to. You've been happier, ever since you two got close and I was so happy for both of you. But you're more than just friends, aren't you? You hug and sit close and spend all your time together, especially this week. I know something must have happened between you guys because you've been hanging out together more than normal lately. I'm happy for you Ferb, really. Just know that I kind of really like Isabella. So this might take some getting used to for me."_

_ I smiled. Phineas was a great brother. I raised my eyebrow, asking, "May I talk now?"_

_ "Oh yeah, sorry, bro," Phineas said._

_ "I'm going on a date with Vanessa Doofenshmirtz. Isabella has been helping me plan, to ensure it goes perfectly," I said simply._

_ Phineas jaw dropped and I watched as a variety of emotions crossed his face. First was the shock that I was dating Vanessa. Then the happiness for me, since I was dating a girl he knew I had always liked. Then there was the realization that I wasn't dating Isabella, which brought on another look of happiness. Then a look of doubt._

_ "So there's nothing between you and Isabella?" Phineas asked, a bit nervously. "You guys really do talk a lot. And you do sit close together. And I do see you hug a decent amount…"_

_ I thought for a moment. "Perhaps we're a bit closer than your average friends, or even your average best friends. But, I assure you, that's all Isabella is to me, and I to her. A friend."_

_ Phineas gave me an enormous smile and I felt myself relax. I was so glad that Phineas trusted me for my word. He was happy and now I could focus on planning the perfect first date for Vanessa and myself._

* * *

"Isabella, do you take Phineas to be your lawfully wedded husband, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"

I tried giving up on Phineas. Throughout high school, I dated some other guys and had even gotten myself to stop thinking about him constantly. It was no use; ever since I was five, I knew we were meant for each other, and it turns out I was right. We started dating at the beginning of college. He even chose to attend Tri-State State just to be with me. And now we would be together forever.

"I do!" I said, without a moment of hesitation. I had never been so sure of anything before.

"Phineas, do you take Isabella to be your lawfully wedded wife, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"

"I do!" I could see that sparkle in Phineas' eyes that he got when he had set his heart on some incredibly important project. The spark seemed brighter now than I had ever seen it.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride!"

Phineas' goal, ever since he was a child, was to make every day the best it could be. I honestly didn't see how this day could get any better. As we slow danced our first dance as husband and wife, he bent a little to whisper in my ear.

"This is the best day ever, Isabella. I really don't know if I'll ever be able to top it." I couldn't keep the smile off my face as we finished our dance and kissed, to the sound of applause.

After that came the father-daughter dance and the mother-son dance, after which everyone else was finally allowed to take the dance floor. Phineas and I separated for a while, in attempt to greet each and every person present at the reception. It was an ambitious goal, considering how popular Phineas was.

I was searching for Katie when I heard a low voice from behind me.

"May I have this dance?" I turned to see Ferb extending his hand to me and I realized that a slow song had just started.

"You sure? What happened to Vanessa?" I asked, though I knew Ferb's fiancée wouldn't mind.

Ferb gave me a small eye roll, as I took his hand and he led me out onto the dance floor. With his hands on my waist and mine on his shoulders, we began to slow dance.

"Guess what, Ferb." He raised his eyebrow. "I'm your sister-in-law now and you know what that means?" I smiled. "You're going to be stuck being my best friend forever!"

We stopped dancing, for a moment, and burst out laughing. When we had finished, Ferb pulled me into a hug. He leaned in close to whisper in my ear.

"Congratulations, Isabella. Other than Vanessa, you and Phineas are the two most important people in my life, and the fact that you found happiness together means the world to me."

I didn't know what to say and I felt myself tearing up. Thankfully, Ferb knew what it was like to not have anything to say. We reverted back to our dancing positions and we remained there until the end of the song.

When the song ended, Ferb put his hands on my shoulders and turned me around. I immediately saw Phineas watching us, from the edge of the dance floor, with a big smile on his face.

"I think there's someone looking for you," Ferb said, before lightly shoving me towards Phineas. I turned my head to smile back at Ferb and then skipped over to embrace my new husband.

* * *

I'm Isabella. _I'm Ferb._ We've been best friends ever since we were kids and now we're even siblings-in-law! _People still doubt our relationship from time to time, but we don't really care. _Our spouses, Phineas and Vanessa, understand and that's all that matters. In fact, you could even say the four of us are best friends! _We're a couple of couples. _Was that supposed to be funny? _Yes._ Anyway, I married Ferb's brother, so now we have to be best friends forever! _Oh goodness, that's so cliché. _Shut up, Ferb!

* * *

**Let me know what you all thought! Until next time. :)**


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